Businesses should move outside

It’s generally safer outside.

The rules on mask wearing and physical distancing still apply.

But all things being equal, an activity conducted outdoors carries a lower risk of COVID-19 spread than the same one held indoors because the ventilation is better.

Given that we no longer live on the surface of the sun, it would make sense to move a lot more activities outdoors, right?

San Diego ran with this idea months ago, relaxing rules so restaurants, bars, salons and gyms could use space in parking lots, on sidewalks and even streets to conduct business. All over the city, you can find people getting haircuts on sidewalks, gym members working out in parking lots and visitors eating breakfast where curbside parking would normally be.

Many cities in Arizona also began tweaking their policies for restaurants and bars as summer began, but few in metro Phoenix signed up. You know, because we lived on the surface of the sun. But that, thankfully, is changing. Moving outdoors isn’t just a matter of setting up under an umbrella. Businesses must get the permission of whoever owns the parking lot, and if they’re moving onto sidewalks or into streets, cities must ensure that there’s enough space for pedestrians and fire service (not to mention enough space to ensure patrons are properly spaced).

State law also complicates things, because it requires businesses to serve alcohol within a certain distance of their property. The state Liquor Department requires a separate application for that.

But cities are trying to make it easy. Those that once required council approval for temporary extension of premises requests like these have moved them in-house, so they can be processed and approved more quickly.

Some are approved in a few days, though others can still take a couple of weeks.

Many cities have waived application fees and are allowing hand-drawn site plans, so business owners don’t have to hire an architect to complete their application.

That’s important. Restaurants have been operating at half capacity for months, and some bars have experienced extended closures. Few have a ton of cash lying around to do this.

And that’s the point. We want businesses to do this.

Mesa has taken its assistance a step further, giving restaurant and bar owners up to $1,000 to purchase tables, umbrellas, barriers and other necessary equipment to set up outdoor spaces. The city is funding that and other business assistance efforts — such as paying for temporary signs and markers to keep people appropriately distanced — with federal CARES Act dollars.

It was a no-brainer for David Valencia, who owns Oro Brewing Co. in downtown Mesa. He was running out of space indoors to ensure everyone remained properly distanced, particularly on weekend nights, but he only had a few feet of space in front of his shop to place tables.

He was worried about having to turn customers away.

So, he got permission from the building owner and his neighbors to extend his seating further down the sidewalk, and with the $1,000, he was able to add more umbrellas to make the space more comfortable.

Tom George at Gabby’s Bar & Grill in west Mesa was facing similar circumstances. He had expanded his patio before the pandemic but knew how costly and lengthy the first application was to get approval.

This time was different. He had approval within a few days and was able to get the larger space up and running in time for peak traffic on the weekend.

This is how it should be, and I hope other cities take note of how Mesa is putting its CARES Act funding to work. Cities also should consider extending such a program to other businesses, so it’s easy to get them outside, too.

Ultimately, this should be about helping businesses stay open while helping ensure customers have plenty of room to stay safe.

Many cities in Arizona also began tweaking their policies for restaurants and bars as summer began.